Ex-sailor faces sex assault charges

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published
7:00 pm EST, Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Duvaul Ma-lachi, 23, was arraigned Wednesday in Superior Court, where Judge Barbara Bellis set his bail at $250,000.
Eight days after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Malachi left for the Arabian Sea as part of the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, one of the first ships sent abroad in the U.S. war on terror.
At the time he shipped out, Malachi was married and lived in Ridgefield part of the time and the rest of the time in Norfolk, Va. He is now estranged from his wife.
Malachi's brother, Jamal Malachi, who lives in Massachusetts, said when his brother left the Navy, things changed. "He was just going on a bad road when he got out of the Navy," Malachi said. "I love my brother to death."
He said his brother "was not raised like that."
"He does need help," Jamal Malachi said, adding perhaps jail time would do him good. "He needs to learn."
Jamal Malachi said he has no plans to post bail for his brother.
"He did what he did. Nobody told him to do it. His mind was somewhere else," Jamal Malachi said.
"He was with the 12-year-old's mother. The mother knew about it," Jamal Malachi said.
Jamal Malachi said the girlfriend helped his brother "run for three weeks" while authorities were trying to serve him with an arrest warrant. Jamal Malachi said the alleged victim is living with her grandparents.
Duvaul Malachi, whose current address is Scuppo Road, Danbury, was apprehended by police Tuesday at a Bethel motel.
At the arraignment, prosecutor David Holzbach asked for $250,000 bail "given it's a 23-year-old having relations with a 12-year-old."
Bail Commissioner John Feulner said Malachi has been a Connecticut resident for three years. He was convicted of marijuana possession while living in Virginia Beach.
Danbury defense lawyer Vicki Hutchinson isn't representing Malachi, but said "just because someone is charged don't jump to conclusions."
"If your instinct tells you he's a nice guy, stick with it until proven otherwise," she said.
Danbury Police Capt. Arthur Sullo didn't know the details of this case, but said "people get themselves into trouble with young girls all the time."
The case was continued to March 30.